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Qwerty pretty things(The Mail on Sunday Via Thomson Dialog NewsEdge) Until a few years ago, if you wanted to check your emails you had to sit down in front of a PC and hit Send/Receive. Then came the BlackBerry - first launched in 1999 - which kept you connected to your inbox at all times. The instant success of the BlackBerry concept lay in the fact that once you have constant, easy access to emails, and can type (thanks to the QWERTY keypad) and send messages just as easily as you receive them, it becomes addictive - no wonder they have earned the nickname CrackBerrys. At first, BlackBerrys were the preserve of business users, but with the launch of colour-screen, camera-equipped, relatively slim new models (see overleaf ), they are now muscling into the mainstream phone market. Not to be outdone, mobile phonemakers have been developing their own software for instant email, believing that once even casual users get used to always-on email, they'll never give it up. Indeed, just about every modern mobile phone allows you to compose, send and receive emails on the go, although on many networks this can be frustrating - manually checking for mail is fiddly and incurs call charges, too. But how effective are the new boys at managing your mail? How easy is it to use the latest email phones? And what other features do they offer? Over the following pages we've tested and rated the latest models so you can find the one that works best for you. All models are free with contract unless otherwise stated. EMAIL PHONES: THE FACTS Most people think that mobile email is a luxury, but 97 per cent of phone handsets in the UK can already send and receive email (although their users may not know how to access it). BlackBerrys and other smartphones (that is, ones that offer additional software applications, such as calendar and word-processing functions) stand out from the crowd by offering Push email. This means they are constantly connected to your inbox, so you get emails instantly rather than having to press 'connect' to receive them. To get Push email you'll need to have a phone that is able to receive it, and pay extra to your mobile provider to have emails pushed to your phone. This is usually around GBP10 per month, although it costs from just GBP2.50 on 3. Many Push email phones - including all BlackBerrys - have a Flight Mode that turns off the wireless connection, so you can compose emails when flying without angering the cabin crew. When you land they're all sent at the press of a button. If you don't have a phone with in-built Push email, you can install software such as Morange to do the same job. You'll have to have the software running to send and receive mails, though. Visit morange.com. Many Push email phones let you have multiple accounts, so instead of checking three different mailboxes, they're all sent directly to your phone. This is convenient if you have different addresses for work, home and family. Push email is fast. BlackBerry's consumer email system checks for new mail every three minutes. Shortcuts in email programmes make composing messages even easier - some have predictive text, which suggests what word you're typing. BlackBerry phones also have other clever shortcuts. For instance, typing two spaces inserts a full stop, a space and capitalises the next letter. Some of the latest email phones, such as Nokia's N80, include wireless internet capabilities, so you can send and receive emails or surf the internet even faster when you're in a wi-fi-enabled coffee shop. And while you're in that wi-fi hotspot, make the most of it: some phones even let you make calls over wi-fi, which usually works out cheaper. Since Push email phones are usually smartphones, it's easier to run your whole life from one device that can store all your contacts, notes to self and appointments in your diary as well as making phone calls, sending texts and receiving email. BLACKBERRYS BLACKBERRY 7130 blackberry.co.uk Memory 64MB Weight 133g Screen 2.25in Camera No The 7130 has two letters per key, so you need to use predictive text to type. Not as striking as the Pearl (below) and there's no camera, but the interface is simplicity itself and the shape of the device fits the hand well. And the BlackBerry's set-up remains the gold standard for Push email. **** BLACKBERRY PEARL 8100 blackberrypearl.co.uk Memory64MB Weight89g Screen2.25in Camera Yes Very fast and efficient at sending email, cutest-ever BlackBerry (it's operated glowing pearl-like trackball) is the first feature a camera. But in order to squeeze into such a slim frame, the keypad has compromised: most keys have two letters, not one, making typing rather more fiddly than it ought to be. **** . MOBILE EMAILERS BEST BUY NOKIA N73 nokia.co.uk Memory42MB Weight116g Screen2.4in Camera Yes This phone has only a regular numeric keypad, so although the large screen is great for viewing emails, text entry is slow and hampered by small keys. A great camera (3.2 megapixels) and excellent music player make for a fun multimedia phone, if not a great emailer.*** NOKIA E61 nokia.co.uk Memory62MB Weight144g Screen2.9in Camera No Nokia's take on the BlackBerry is well executed, with an excellent keyboard and intuitive software for 3G, wireless connectivity and even MP3 playback. It is backed up with a large screen and an easy-to-use operating system. The downside? The software is not as good as the BlackBerry's, and there is no camera.**** PALM PALM TREO 650 palm.com/uk Memory23MB Weight178g Screen2.5in Camera No Palm's expertise with personal organisers led them to design one of the first multitasking mobiles: contacts, diary, memo pad, email and phone in one. Now, though, it's looking tired and old. You're better off with the 680 (see previous page) or Treo750v (right), which uses the Windows operating system.** SONY ERICSSON P990i sonyericsson.com/uk Memory64MB Weight150g Screen2.6in Camera Yes This long-awaited smart phone from Sony Ericsson is featurepacked but bulky and tricky to use. The keys are tiny and hard to pick out, and handwriting recognition, via the touchscreen, is poor. The email software itself is effective, but the lining of your pockets will pay the price.*** BLACKBERRY 8700 blackberry.co.uk Memory64MB Weight134g Screen2.75in Camera No Full QWERTY keypad and standard BlackBerry shortcuts make typing a breeze. It's exceptionally easy and efficient, and if there's any downside to this phone, it's that making calls isn't quite so easy because the phone is wide and flat. Excellent, nonetheless. ***** SONY ERICSSON M600i sonyericsson.com/uk Memory80MB Weight112g Screen2.5in Camera No Slim, small and possesses a full keyboard. The operating system is complex to get on with, but the combination of a touch-sensitive screen and a jog dial help. Handwriting recognition is good enough to make saving names and numbers easy, even if full emails are best left to the keypad. *** WINDOWS PHONES HTC STRTRK europe.htc.com Memory64MB Weight99g Screen2.2in Camera Yes Also known as the QTek 8500, this phone is slim, pocketable and snazzily designed but it's no fun to use. The large, bright screen may make it easy to read emails, yet the keypad is flat and slippy and because you're limited to a regular number pad, text input is slow. Looks good but it's not much smarter than the average phone. * HTC TYTN t-mobile.co.uk Memory64MB Weight176g Screen2.8in Camera Yes This small-format smartphone features a touch screen display. Equally impressive is the twomegapixel camera and an excellent slide-out keyboard. It's unbeatably good for fast data transfer as it has HSDPA, a super-fast version of 3G. If you travel, this may save you taking the laptop.***** PALM TREO 750V palm.com/uk Memory64MB Weight158g Screen2.7in Camera Yes PC users will quickly find their way around the Windows Mobile operating system, which offers great compatibility with a computer. All Windows Mobile phones deliver Push email, and the home screen usefully includes a link to Google. Even delivery from webmail services such as Gmail is fast and efficient, plus it's neat and easy to use.***** BESTBUY HP HW6915 GBP399 without contract, hp.co.uk Memory 64MB Weight175g Screen 3in Camera No This is primarily a very well equipped PDA with satellite navigation that you can also use to make phone calls. The screen is large and bright, and the QWERTY keypad is easy to type on. The phone comes with wireless connectivity - perfect if you are calling from a wi-fi cafe. The addition of a camera makes this a very nifty device.**** ASUS P525 Price to be announced, asus.com Memory64MB Weight160g Screen2.8in Camera Yes This soon-to-be-released smartphone from computer-maker Asus is well-built and stylish. It lacks a full keypad but the touchscreen is bright and impressive. Wireless connectivity means fast data transfer in wi-fi zones; neat extra features include business card recognition using the built-in camera **** SAMSUNG SGH- samsung.com/uk Memory128MB Weight95g Screen2.2in Camera Yes This smartphone is almost slim enough to be a fashion phone - unlike most phones with a QWERTY keypad. The keyboard is fiddly for emailing, although the keypad's been tweaked so that numbers correspond to a four-letter section on the keyboard - hit any part of the section and it will still dial that number ***** HTC MTEOR europe.htc.com Memory128MB Weight120g Screen2.2in Camera Yes This is a 3G phone, but although surfing the web is fast, text input is still slow. Great for viewing emails, but average for writing them. Its 1.3-megapixel camera is adequate rather than exceptional and the lack of a front camera rules out video calling. ** FUJITSU SIEMENS POCKET LOOX T830 GBP495 without contract, fujitsusiemens.co.uk Memory64MB Weight195g Screen2.4in Camera Yes Although it's not cheap, the Loox T830 has an easy-to-use QWERTY keyboard and even manages to squeeze 3G capabilities into its small case. Wireless is built in for easy surfing, and the touch screen makes navigating menus a breeze.**** Copyright 2006 The Mail on Sunday. |